GE and Huaneng Guilin Gas Distributed Energy Co. Ltd. jointly announced that the first fire of GE 6F.01 gas turbine has been successfully completed, marking the first application globally for GE’s latest F-class gas turbine. The first fire is a critical milestone during which the gas turbine is switched on and reaches full speed. Today’s milestone follows several months of installation and commissioning work for the Huaneng Guilin Distributed Energy Project (“The Project”), which will supply power to seven major industries across Guilin - one of the world’s most iconic tourist destinations. The Project will include supplying heating to Guilin’s nearby life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and tech industries, as well as providing heating and cooling to surrounding public, commercial, and residential areas.

The Project is the first ever gas power project for the city of Guilin and the largest gas power project for the province of Guangxi. In addition, it is also the first-ever distributed energy project managed by China Huaneng Group. Featuring an innovative combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) configuration, the three higher-efficiency 6F.01 gas turbine units have the capacity to achieve fuel efficiency of 81.15 percent and a total installed generating capacity of 210 megawatts (MW).

“The Huaneng Guilin Distributed Energy Project is cleaner, more stable, and safer with strong peak-load-dispatching operation. It provides a new model of high-efficiency energy use for this city,” said Li Xiaodong, general manager of Huaneng Guilin Gas Distributed Energy Co. Ltd. “This pilot project successfully demonstrates the ways for Guangxi to explore the smart energy initiatives. It also reflects the theme of ‘new city, new energy, new life’ that the new district is advocating. Going forward, this secure energy supply will support Guilin in pursuing its ambition to become a major international tourism destination.”

“We are very proud of the successful first firing. From design and manufacturing to installation, this project demonstrates GE’s leading gas turbine expertise, more than one hundred years’ experience in power services, and the strong capabilities of our local team”, said Yang Dan, President of GE Power China. “GE provides timely, reliable, and customized solutions that help our customers achieve breakthroughs and create more value while contributing to the sustainable development and transformation of China’s power industry.”

The Huaneng Guilin Distributed Energy Project will be fueled by natural gas. Upon completion, the project is expected to replace 300,000 tons of standard coal as well as substantially reducing emissions. The emissions benefits include an expected reduction of up to 527 tons of sulfur dioxide and 1,560 tons of nitrogen oxide, and up to an 85 percent drop in dust and 70 percent drop in carbon dioxide.

The 6F.01 turbine can deliver a rapid startup, synchronizing to grid within as little as eight minutes and achieving to full load in less than 30 minutes to provide a safe and efficient power supply for the area. In addition, gas distributed energy projects are capable of generating peak power on demand. This capability allows for shifting loads for gas and power supply, helping to alleviate discrepancies and increase the efficiency of gas facilities in summertime. Furthermore, GE’s technology can also decrease the level of investment needed in gas storage, as well as lowering the operational costs for power and gas grids.

GE won the bid of providing three gas turbines for the Project in 2014.The 6F.01 turbine is highly adapted for distributed energy and is one of the most advanced and efficient gas turbines below 100 MW in the world. The turbine adopts multi-stage compressor induction guide vanes (IGV) used in GE’s world record-breaking 9HA gas turbine technology for enhanced compressor efficiency. The latest 6F.01 gas turbines have also leveraged Advanced Gas Path (AGP) and combustion materials from 9F.05 and H-level gas turbines, allowing them to withstand higher combustion temperatures.

Under 1x1 cogeneration configuration, the 6F.01 can reach a power generation efficiency of nearly 55.7 percent, far higher than the 40 percent usually achieved by coal fired power plants. The exhaust temperature would reach 600 degrees Celsius, generating more steam for heating. The whole system will reach a cogeneration efficiency of over 80 percent.

“Effective project management and collaboration was essential to timely first firing and power supply, and this milestone would not have been achieved without the orchestration of GE’s project management team”, said Wang Wei, general manager of project management for GE Power China. “For this project, GE was not only responsible for the design and manufacturing of the 6F.01 gas turbines but our team also provided 24x7 support and onsite assistance on project coordination, installation, and commissioning to strongly contribute to the project’s timely execution and completion.”

In addition to the Huaneng Guilin Distributed Energy project, Beijing Gas Energy Co. Ltd. under China Huadian Corp. also ordered three 6F.01 gas turbines in 2016 for the construction of the Tongzhou channel core center energy project. The project will harness 6F.01’s advanced, eco-friendly power generation technology to supply the local area with power as well as heating and cooling services.